Speed-regulating device.



No. 890,533. PATENTED JUNE 9, 1908. A. P. SGHMUOKER.

SPEED REGULATING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED 11mg, 1907.

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PATENTED JUNE 9, 1908.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 8, 1907.

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ALFRED P. SCHMUCKER, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

SPEED-REGULATING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent. I

Patented June 9, 1908.

Application filed January 8, 1907. Serial No. 351,329.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED P. SCHMUCKER, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Speed-RegulatingDevices; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the inven- 'tion, such as 'will enable others skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to im rovements in means for regulating or controling the speed of a driven device whereby the same may be made toconform to that of the driving device or vary therefrom as desired, saidmeans being entirely free from gears such as are ordinarily employed inconnection with speed changing or regulating mechanisms as heretoforeemployed.

In my improvement I em loy a liquidcontaining reservoir, a casing ocatedtherein and communicating with thereservoir by inlet and outlet ports,the said casing being connected with the driven shaft, and provided witha chamber in which is located acylinder fast on the driving shaft, thecylinder being arranged within the casing. and provided with a movablepiston or blade rotating with the cylinder andarranged to draw theliquid into the chamber of the casing through one port and expel itthrough the other port when the device is in operation. The casing isprovided witha shding valve device for controlling the exit port thereofwhereby the passage of liquid through the said port is controlled atwill. The theory of operation of the device is as follows: If both theinlet and outlet-ports are wide open, the interior cylinder connectedwith the driving shaft willrotate within the casingwithout lmparting anymovement to the driven shaft or the cas ng which is connectedwiththelast named shaft. Now if the exit port of the casing is partiallyclosed so that the liquid cannot be expelledfrom the chamber of thecasing as fast as it enters thesaid chamber, motion will-be imparted tothe casing butat a less s eed than that of the interior cylinder and t edrlv ng shaft, the variation in speed between the two shafts being inproportion to the degree of the exit ports closure. That is to say thegreater the degree of closure, the greater the speed of the driven shaftor the nearer the speed of the driven shaft approaches the speed of thedriving shaft; but when the exit port is completely closed, the drivenshaft and the driving shafts will rotate in unison or both at the samespeed. Hence my improved mechanism becomes a very efficientinstrumentality for regulating or controlling the s eed of the drivendevice as compared with that of the driving device, without the seriousloss of power incident to the friction resulting from the use of coggedor other gearin as heretofore explained.

Having briefly outlined my improved construction, I will proceed todescribe the same in detail reference being made to the accompanyingdrawing in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

In this drawing, Fi ure 1 is a side elevation showing one em odiment ofmy improved construction. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the same showingthe cut off valve in v a different relative position and the parts on a,larger scale. ing the cut-off va ve in position to entirely close theexit port of the casing or thrown to the extreme opposite position fromthat shown in Fig. 1.- Fig. 4 is a cross section taken on the line 4-4Fig. 3. In Figs. 2 and 3 the section is taken approximately on the line2-2 Fig. 4 looking toward the right or in the direction indicated by thearrow.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

Let the numeral 5 designate a reservoir provided with heads 6 and 7 withwhich are connected stuffing boxes 8 and 9. The driven shaft 10 passesthrough the stuffin box 8 and merges into a casing 12 locate within thereservoir and provided with a chamber 13 eccentrically arranged withreference to the axis of the driven and driving shafts. This casing isprovided with an inlet port 15 and an exit port 14, both ports beingpreferably of the same size and so arranged that the exit port may becontrolled without interfering with the inlet port. chamber of the saidcasing, is located a cylin der 16 which is fast on the driving shaft 17,the axis of the cylinder bein in alinement with the axes of the drivingan driven shafts. Hence the chamber of the casing is eccentricallyarranged with reference to the cylin- Fig. 3 is a similar view showWithin the der therein. The casing. and the cylinder are so constructedthat they are always in contact at one point. This cylinder carries atwo part blade or piston 18 slidable within a slot formed in thecylinder, the opposite edges of the blade engaging the interior walls ofthe casing and separating the chamber 13, whereby as the cylinderrotates within the casing, the liquid within the reservoir is taken inthrough the port 15 and returned to the reservoir through the port 14,assuming that the last named port is open. Surrounding the casing 12 andslidable thereon is a cut-off valve 19 for controllin the exit port 14of the casing. This valve is provided with a circumferential groove '20in which are located two shoes 21 ivotally connected with the oppositeend; of a semicircular yoke 22, the latter being connected at its upperextremity with a disk 23 located in a counterpart socket 24 formed inthe to of the casing. Connected with this ball is an exteriorlyprotruding lever arm 25 carrying a shield 26 for closing an elongatedopenmg 27 formed in the wall of the socket and permitting the re uiredmovement of the lever arm for manipu ating the cut-off valve.

By an inspection of the drawing it will be understood that the chamberof the casing 12 is cut-ofi from communication with the reservoir exceptby way of the ports 14 and 15. As shown in the drawing one extremity ofthis casing is closed b a disk 28 having a sleeve 29 surrounding t isdriving shaft 17, the said shaft being free to rotate within the sleeve.The disk 28 is connected with the casing by means of bolts 31 passingthrough the disk and a circular flange formed on one extremity of thecasing. It will also be noted that as shown in the drawing thecylindrical portion of the reservoir is.com posed of two substantiallysimilar members provided with opposing flanges connected by olts 30.

From the foregoing description the operation of my improved constructionwill be readily understood. Assuming that power is applied to the shaft17 heretofore termed the driving shaft, and assuming that the ports 14and 15 are both open and the chamer 13 of the casing filled with theliquid in the reservoir, the said liquid will be expelled from thecasing through the one port as fast as it enters through the other port,and the driven shaft 10 together with the casing will remain stationary.In other words when it is desired to leave the power upon the drivingshaft without operating the driven shaft, the exit port is left wideopen. Now if it is desired to transmit motion to the driven shaft, thecutoff valve 19 will be adjusted to close the exit port 14 more or lessaccording to the speed which it is desired to impart to the driven Ishaft as-compared with the speed of the driving shaft. If a small partof the port 14 only is closed, the driven shaft will be rotated but notnearly as fast as the driving shaft. Now if the movement of the valve issuch as to gradually cut off more and more .the passage of liquidthrough the exit port,

the speed of the casing and the driven shaft will continue to increasein direct proportion to the degree of the ports closure, and when thisport is completely closed, the driving and driven shafts will be rotatedin unison or as a continuous shaft since the liquid within the chamber13 of the casing cannot escape therefrom through the exit port andconsequently the liquid within the chamber of the casing and between thesliding blade or iston and the point where the exterior wa of theinterior cylinder engages the interior surface of the casing, forms asolid body, compelling the two instrumentalities to rotate together.

The two members of the blade or piston 18 passing through the cylinderas heretofore explained, are acted on by an interposed coil spring 32,which is of such tension as to keep the opposite edges of the said bladeor piston in close engagement with the interior walls of the casingchamber. There is also sufficient space between the two blades when theyare completely expanded or occupy a position in line with the diameterof the chamber 13, so that the two members may be allowed to approacheach other when they are compelled to assume a position of less lengthwhich of course only occurs when the cylinder is rotating faster thanthe casing. Of course when the cylinder and easing are rotating inunison, the blades do not change their position as long as thiscondition exists, but simply remain in the position they occupied whenthe cut off valve was shifted to completely close the exit port.

In this a plication the casing 12- and the cylinder 16 ocated thereintogether with the blade 18 may be considered a rotary pump or a pumpingengine or means for circulating the hquid within the reservoir, onemember of the pump, namely the casing 12 being conneeted with one shaftand the other nn-lnber. namely the part 16 being connected with theother shaft; while the slide valve mounted on the casing may beconsidered means for regw lating the circulation of the liquid bycontrol-- ling the exit port of the casing. It must be understood thatwhile I have shown but one specific construction of this type of pump, 1am aware that other constructions operating on the same principle may beemployed. Hence the invention is not limited to any specificconstruction of this type of pump.

While it is believed that my 1m roved con struction for regulating therelative s eed of the driving and driven devices, has a ecided advantageover constructions heretofore in vogue for accomplishing a similarfunction. from the standpoint of friction reduction there is anothervery important element of advantage in this construction, since by meansof the samejthe relative speed ofthe 'theo (1 form of construction isemployed, the

number of gears must corres 0nd with the number. of speed variationswile in my imroved construction theremay be theoretlcally an infinitenumber of changes in speed without the employment of any additionalapparatus, since the slightest movement of the slide valve forcontrolling the passage of liquid through the exit port, results in achange of the relative speed between the driving and the driven shafts.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In speed regulating mechanism, the combination of a li uid-containingreservoir, a driving shaft, a driven shaft, means located in thereservoir for circulating the liquid therein as the driving shaft isrotated, the said means including two cooperating mem 6 bers, oneofwhich is eccentrically mounted in the other, and slidable meanssurrounding the outer member and independent of the shafts forcontrolling the exit port, whereby the passage of liquid therethroughmay be cut off to any degree desired, for the purpose of regulating thespeed of the driven shaft as compared with that of the driving shaft,substantially as described.

2. The combination with a driving and a driven shaft, a liuid-containing reservoir into which both s lafts project, one of thesaid shafts having a casing forming a chamber provided with inlet andexit ports communicating with the reservoir; the other shaft having acylindrical part located within the chamber of the casing andeccentrically mounted thereon, the said cylindrical part being providedwith a blade slidable therein and adapted to engage the inner wall ofthe casing on two opposite sides, whereby as the cylinder is rotatedwithin the casing the liquid is taken into the casing chamber throughone port and ex elled through the other port, and means or controllingthe exit port, whereby the passage .of liquid therethrough may be cutoff to any degree desired, for the purpose of regulating the speed ofthe driven shaft as compared with that of the driving shaft,substantially as described.

3. In speed controlling mechanism, the combination with a driving shaft,a driven shaft, a liquid-containing reservoir in which the said shaftsare journaled, a casing located in the reservoir and secured to one ofthe shafts, the said casing forming a chamber and having inlet and exitports whereby its chamber is in communication with the reservoir, acylinder secured to the other shaft and located withinthe casing, thesaid cylinder being eccentrically mounted within the casing chamber andtangential to the wall of said chamber at a point between the saidports, the said cylinder having-an expansile blade whose oppositeedgesare-constantly in' engagement with the inner walls of the easing,and'means for controlling the exit port ofthe latter substantially asdescribed. 4. In speedcontrolling mechanism, the combination ofa-driving device, a driven device, a liquid-containing reservoir inwhich the said devices are-journaled, a casingulocatedin the reservoirand securedto one of the said devices, the said casing forming a chamberand having inlet and exit ports whereby its chamber is in communicationwith the reservoir, a cylinder secured to the other of said devices andlocated within the said casing, the said cylinder being eccentricallymounted within the casing chamber tangential to the inner wall of thecasing at a point between the said ports, the cylinder having membersnormally pressed outwardly against the inner walls of the casing onopposite sides, and means for controlling the exit ports, substantiallyas described.

5: In speed-controlling mechanism, the combination of a driving part, adriven part, a liquid-containing reservoir in which the said parts arejournaled, the said journals having their axes in alinement, a casinglocated in the r'eservoir and secured to one of the said parts, the saidcasing forming a chamber and aving inlet and exit ports whereby itschamber is in communication with the liquid of the reservoir, a cylindersecured to the other of the said parts and located within the saidcasing, the said cylinder being eccentrically mounted within the casingchamber and tangential to the inner wall of the chamber at a pointbetween' the said ports, the said cylinder having a member movablymounted therein and engaging the inner walls of the chamber on oppositesides, the said member being diametrically located in the cylinder, andsuitable means for controlling the exit port of the casing. t

6. In speed-controlling mechanism, the combination of a driving shaft, adriven shaft, a liquid-containing reservoir in which the said shafts arejournaled, the axes of the shafts being in alinement, a casing locatedin the reservoir and secured to the driven shaft, the said casingforming a chamber and having'its axis in alinement with the axes of thetwo shafts and having a cylindrical chamber eccentric to its axis, thesaid casing having inlet and exit ports, whereby its chamber is incommunication with the liquid of the reservoir, a cylinder secured tothe driving shaft and located within the said casing, the said cylinderhaving its axis in alinement with the axes of the two shafts and thecasing and being tangential to the wall of the casing chamber at a pointbetween the said orts, the said cylinder having an exansi le bladediametrically located and eely movable thereinfits opposite edges beingin constant engagement with the walls of the casing chamber.

7. In speed regulating mechanism, the combination of a liquid-containingreservoir,

' a drivin shaft, a drlven shaft, a casing forming a c amber and havinginlet and exit ports communicating with the reservoir, a

cylindrical body mounted in the chamber of the casing, the said bodybeing tangential to the wall of the said chamber at a point between thetwo ports, and slidable means sur- 15 shaft as compared with that of thedriving 20 shaft, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my .signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALFRED P. SCHMUCKER.

Witnesses 7 DENA NELSON, H. W. STONE.

